Land turtles can be great pests for children but also for adults as they are not pretentious and you can become "friends" for life. Turtles are reptile species, the order of Chelonian with considerable experience, appreciating that occurred more than 200 million years ago, long before the era of dinosaurs. Order Chelonians currently includes about 250 species.
Among the best known species of tortoises on the European continent, Testudo include Hermann (or Herman) and Greek Testudo Iberia. The first live, in the natural environment in the Iron Gates on the Danube tributaries valleys, especially the forest edge. At birth it is about 4 cm and can reach 15-30 cm at adulthood. It has a yellow-orange with black spots and two bands of the same color at the insertion. The second land tortoise with a lid or Greek is prevalent in the Balkan Peninsula, Asia Minor, the Mediterranean and northwest Africa, the territories sunny hills with rich vegetation and forests. Shell color is yellow or yellow-green and the edges brown. Shirt-front is adorned with brown spots. Both species are protected by law, and their acquisition, as pets, pet shops must be made from only when we are sure that we want them that we care and when we accept that we can be there a long time, a living tortoises, on average, over 70 years.
As pets they can be held both inside the house, the apartment, as well as outside, in a specially designed spaces in which to enjoy light, heat, food and to be able to hide when you sleep in which to hibernate. The acvaterium must provide a minimum of comfort vital to our companion animal to be able to move in order to properly activate the circulation. This space can be a wooden box, glass, plastic or cardboard (if not too big frog has not learned to tear cardboard to go for a walk). Can be left and the garden, but, despite appearances, is moving very fast, long distance and is buried in the ground to cool and at bedtime. To not risk to lose it, take a walk together, then leave it in the "box" them, where they will feel very good, if fed properly, and if you always have a litter of leaves or grass under which to hide when she is too hot. For those who can, summer garden and can arrange a premises with a minimum depth of 10 cm, with stones, that test would climb with great pleasure, sand, green and must be sufficiently high for it to not escape.
Turtles are herbivorous land and even seductive. They eat vegetables that you can find easily in the garden: dandelion leaves, lettuce, clover, plantain (for they are the most tasty), vegetables (especially tomatoes), fruits in small quantities, melons, apples, pears, plums, apricots, raspberries, blackberries, etc. They do not need much water, but in space arranged for them, must find, from time to time, especially in spring, when out of hibernation, a small bowl, with low margins, from which they can drink. In captivity, as in their natural environment, land turtles hibernate. Late fall, you have to offer this opportunity, placing the box in a place where temperature does not exceed 5 to 10 C, have leaves, hay or shredded paper in which to hide and where they stand, without longer to feed until spring. Where they are kept should be well ventilated (not in cellars or attics) and the temperature must remain constant.
Turtles in individual tests may be elevated, two or in groups. The Hermann Turtle, typically deposites 11-12 eggs in late spring white sphere with a diameter of about 3cm, which they bury in the ground. Chicks hatch after a period of 3-4 months and measured at birth around 4 cm. Greek tortoise is with a lid or submitted in June, 2-5 eggs, which will hatch in August and September. Sometimes babies go directly into hibernation until next spring. The land turtles, maternal instinct is absent, so they have no care, no eggs, no nest, therefore captive breeding is more difficult.
During the rest of their holiday, land turtles can leave home without food for up to one month, provided a few degrees drop in temperature to reduce metabolic activity and thus the consumption of food. Turtles do not create special problems of land, are enduring and resistant animals and if the space is clean living, if they are away from "shock" of temperature and are fed properly, will be lively, friendly, will always provide a wonderful spectacle of beauty and mystery.